


QAF-US Ficlet: "What becomes of the broken-hearted" (Justin, Michael)

by justinlovesart



Category: QAF (US) - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-07
Updated: 2010-07-07
Packaged: 2017-10-10 10:32:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justinlovesart/pseuds/justinlovesart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-513 friendship fiction. Canon pairings (Brian/Justin and Ben/Michael) implied.</p>
            </blockquote>





	QAF-US Ficlet: "What becomes of the broken-hearted" (Justin, Michael)

  
In the end, it's Zephyr who comes to the rescue.

"Go back to Toronto, Michael. I'm fine. Nobody dies of a broken heart."

"And don't I know it, boy wonder." Justin thinks immediately of Ben and Debbie leaving within six months of each other and almost regrets his words.

But not enough to say it.

***

Michael prepares dinner for both of them every night. He's become quite good at it. Excellent, even.

"Between living first with a tofu-crazy vegetarian and then with the girls, I had to learn how to fend for myself."

Will they ever stop calling Mel and Lindz "the girls", Justin wonders. "Their spaghetti and meatballs is not that bad."

The look of horror and disbelief on Michael's face reminds him of Deb.

***

He starts finding catalogues of past personal exhibitions lying around the apartment; old, unfinished drawings taken out of their carefully stored folders and scattered over the coffee table; the door of the studio he never enters anymore left slightly ajar.

Michael never was one for subtlety.

***

"I'm wealthy, Michael. I don't need to paint anymore."

Michael rolls his eyes pointedly, a technique Justin is sure he perfected over the years with Brian.

"Bullshit. Do you know what he would say about your wealthy widower routine?"

"Good thing he's not here to say it." Justin stomps off theatrically.

"Well, good thing I am, then: you are so pathetic, Justin."

Justin hears him distinctly over the slamming of his bedroom door.

***

The comic book does the trick, eventually, one morning over breakfast.

Michael is annoyingly cheerful as he inhales his cereals. "I'm tired of replying to concerned fans and telling them to just be patient."

Justin cannot quite believe how a middle-aged man can still be so enthusiastic about his Fruit Loops.

"They've waited for months to see if J.T. is going to fall off that cliff or not!"

He picks up the copy of the comic (he tells himself it's just so he doesn't have to look at Michael holding a spoon) and leafs warily through its pages.

On the last one, he stares for a long time at the chiselled features of an anguished Rage (Zephyr in the background), looking completely at a loss as to how to help his lover. To be continued...

None of them has aged a day, here, not even the Professor.

He runs his drawing fingers over the page, lightly.

"Fans are so demanding," he murmurs.

Michael hears him. "A real pain in the ass. But what can you do, we must keep them satisfied. I've got grown-up children and crazy lesbians to think of. I'm not a wealthy widower, you know."

Justin looks up at Brian's friend and sees the boyish Zephyr features still there, behind the increasing face lines and the thinning hair.

He wonders what Michael sees when he looks at him, these days.

"I'll have to help you, then."

He pours himself a bowl of Fruit Loops and Michael passes him the milk.


End file.
